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Just hives my first two packages...question

I did it by the book. I'm using a hive top feeder and while I made my best effort, some bees are probably still in the sugar water and will die. Should I worry about it or just go out tomorrow and remove them then?

Also, I think I squashed some bees putting the feeder on. Again, I tried to brush them off but the are quick.

Re: Just hives my first two packages...question

Unless you have a whole lot of dead bees in the syrup I wouldn't worry about it too much. If you do have a bunch, you need to sort out why so many are drowning. Seems like there's always a few though. When I used top feeders I would run my hand lightly around the rim before I put the feeder back on. Try not to drip anything on the rim when removing the feeder for an inspection since the bees will zoom right in on those sweet spots and of course, they'll be in the way when you want to drop the feeder back over the box.

"My wife always wanted girls. Just not thousands and thousands of them......"

Re: Just hives my first two packages...question

I have an old, hand crank food grinder that I have used to break up wine corks to use as float material in feeders. It was necessary to reverse the end piece to allow the chunks to pushed out by the auger. Larger chunks make another trip through the grinder.

I got the grinder for free through FreeCycle.

If you have other beekeepers near you, you might consider purchasing cork nuggets from the Maryland Cork Company. Their Large Nuggets would be easier to use; easier to recuperate or rinse if needed.